Saving One Tree Hill
by cocomoon33
Summary: When Lucas and Peyton return to Tree Hill with hopes of saving Tric and Red Bedroom Records from failing they find that their best friend Haley could use some saving as well. Saving One Tree Hill is filled with themes of guilt, drama, a feeling of family and friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Call**

Lucas and Peyton Scott pulled into their new home in Tree Hill with beaming faces. They looked back into the sleeping body of their young daughter Sawyer who just turned 10. Looking at tree hill flooded back young teenage memories for both Lucas and Peyton. The school shooting at Tree Hill High, their marriage and even the day Peyton discovered she may die in childbirth. It had been over 10 years since they had called Tree Hill their home and the wrinkles on their foreheads and shadows under their eyes proved it.

Peyton thought back to the reason they had returned to Tree Hill and smiled. It was a blessing what happened but she wasn't sure if she was ready to face everything she missed. She couldn't be the maid of honor in her best friend's wedding, or watch her nephew Jamie become a teenager and star in the Tree Hill basketball team. Soon Jamie would be off to college and Peyton had to miss all of that. Even the birth of Millicent and Marvin's son Tanner who was now one year old they had to miss. She wasn't as prepared as she thought she was when she first received the call.

Sawyer had just come home from school and went upstairs to check her phone to see if her friend Laura had texted her when Peyton picked up a phone call from her mother-in-law Karen Roe. Karen sounded very distressed and tired. Peyton was worried for her mother-in-law.

-"Karen is something wrong? You sound really bad" Peyton said in an worried tone.

-"It's Tric Peyton, it might be shut down. Red Bedroom Records could be shut down as well. There's nothing I can do now." Karen said. Peyton was shocked. Tric was a nightclub her and Karen started when Peyton was just a teenage, Red Bedroom Records was a successful record label she started as well which founded many famous artists.

-"What about Chase and Chris Keller? Last time I checked they were running it! What happened?" Peyton pleaded, confused and distressed.

-"They left a little while ago, Chase went off to start a family with Alex and Chris Keller moved away. We had Haley running it in her free time but she can't do it by herself. She's still singing and running Karen's Café, she doesn't have time for a nightclub and a record label as well!" Karen exclaimed. Peyton always knew how found Karen was of Haley, Haley had always been her husband Lucas's best friend when they were growing up.

-"I'm confused, what are you asking me Karen?" Peyton asked, truly knowing the answer, but not wanting to say it out loud.

-"Either you come back to Tree Hill and run Red Bedroom Records and Tric yourself or it shuts down." Karen bluntly stated. Peyton was in shock.

-"Karen, Lucas and I have a life here we can't just drop our jobs and everything to go back to Tree Hill! Can't you do something? Can't you come back to Tree Hill?

-"It's Lilly's senior year Peyton, she has all her friends here, I don't want to take her away. And plus, I am way too old to be running two businesses." Karen said.

-"Well I'm not getting any younger either Karen. I just don't know. Lucas always tells me he can't go back to Tree Hill."

-"Why not, Luke loves it there, almost as much as the rest of us do. And I'm sure you can find friends, Sawyer could be closer to her cousins and family, there are too many benefits to count!"

-"Luke doesn't want to deal with Haley. None of us do. Not after everything that happened to her and everything she has lost. She hasn't called in so many months and her and Nathan might get a divorce. Right now to come back-" Karen started to interrupt Peyton.

-"Would be the best thing for Haley. She needs you two right now. Quinn and Clay took Logan and left Tree Hill. Jamie's moving off to college and Nathan might be divorcing her. She's losing everyone Peyton. She's depressed and no one can help her because no one is around. Even Brooke can't get to her without being shunned away. Lucas is what she needs right now." Karen was using every card she could get to get Peyton to go back to Tree Hill.

-"Karen, I'll have to talk about it with Lucas, I'll call you later but I'm just not sure." Peyton hung up the phone and sat in thought for a while. When Lucas came to her to ask what was going on she decided that they could talk about it now.

-"Your mom called." Peyton said blankly.

-"What did she want? Didn't she want to talk to me?"

-"No, she needed to talk to me."

-"Why is that?"

-"She wants us to move back to Tree Hill and run Red Bedroom and Tric." Peyton told Lucas. Lucas sat a while in thought.

-"Absolutely not."

-"That's what I said at first, but we could do it for Haley. I know you're mad at her for ignoring us but everyone is leaving her, she's so alone Lucas, we could help her!"

-"This is not going to be about Haley! I am not going to take Sawyer away from her friends just so Haley can stop moping around and get a grip! She's losing Nathan because she won't reach out to anyone, including him."

-"Trust me I don't want to go back to Tree Hill at all but I hate to see Tric and Red Bedroom and Haley all go down the drain. I want to help your mom. We owe her so much, I mean look at all she has done for Sawyer. She made quite the generous donation to Sawyer's college fund!"

-"I don't want to go back Peyton! I just can't see Haley depressed and everything I've missed by moving out here. I don't want to see how old Mouth had gotten or how Bevin is married to Skills or how Lydia is up and talking and 8 years old! I just can't stand that everything has changed and we couldn't be there to see it!" Peyton finally understood why Lucas couldn't go back to Tree Hill. Lucas felt guilty for not being in his friend's lives and he just wants everything to be the same.

-"Now I know we have to go to Tree Hill. You feel guilt for leaving Nathan and his family and you can't stand that you weren't in their lives. But there still is a chance Luke. You can still be there. You can watch Jamie and Lydia and Davis and Jude and Tanner become adults. It's not too late."

And that's how Peyton and Lucas decided that going back to Tree Hill was the best choice for them. But the story is not over yet. It hasn't even started.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Hello Friends**

Peyton and Lucas Scott hadn't been more scared of any day than they were of this one. Today they planned to visit each of their friends individually and announce their return to Tree Hill. They figured they would start off easy and they went to the house of Bevin and Antwon Tanner. Before Peyton and Lucas arrived, Bevin and Antwon had been arguing like usual.

After high school, Bevin had lost touch with all of her girl friends. She felt rather out of the loop until she met up with Tim Smith again. Tim had always been the dopey boy in high school that was part man part child. So when he got Bevin knocked up, she felt inclined to marry him and they had their child named after Tim's best high school buddy, Nathan. After Tim cheating on her and losing his job for writing a hate blog for it on the internet, Bevin decided she was done with Tim and they got a divorce. Now she got Nathan on the weekdays and Tim got him on the weekends. Today was a weekend and Antwon and Bevin were arguing over one of the most touchiest topics for couples in a second marriage. Having another child.

You see, Antwon Tanner was really good with kids, but he couldn't imagine having his own. Changing diapers and waking up several times per night was not something "Skills" was willing to do. Bevin on the other hand was yearning for another child. Despite her love for Nathan, he was nearly a teenager and she felt more detached from him than usual. And of course Nathan preferred his fun parent, Tim rather than Bevin who was more hard on Nathan. So Antwon was truly ok with just having a step-kid, but a baby of his own? That was unheard of. So when they heard the doorbell ring, they stopped their screaming and Bevin left Skills to go answer the door. When she opened it to find her high school friends, slightly aged and smiling at her, her mouth dropped to the floor and she stood there for a couple seconds.

From inside the house Skills yelled "Babe, who is it?" And when she didn't answer, Skills came to the door and proceeded to drop his jaw to the floor as well. Peyton and Lucas awkwardly stared at them and they all stood there for a good while, just starting at each other.

-"Well I guess I will break the ice. We're back in Tree Hill, for good!" Peyton said excitedly, fishing for a reaction, but just watching her friends mouths drop wider.

-"Come on guys, aren't you going to invite us in." Lucas asked.

-"Yeah sure, um, come in and just sit down." Bevin said, leading Peyton and Lucas inside their home, Skills following dreamily behind, still not believing his eyes. Than Skills shook out of it and a big grin stretched across his face.

-"My man, Lucas Scott is back in town!" Skills said pulling both Luke and Peyton into a hug. A sigh of relief came from Peyton. If all of their friends reacted this way, they would get off easily.

-"So what made you guys come back, I mean what changed?" Bevin asked.

-"Well Karen actually asked us to take over Tric and Red Bedroom and we just couldn't say no" Peyton said smiling. "And we also wanted to apologize for missing your wedding." Peyton added, looking at the ground.

-"Well not just ours but Brooke's and Mouth's and Quinn's and-" Skills started but Bevin pinched his arm to make him shut up.

-"What we're trying to say is just that we're really happy you guys are back. I know Skills has seen you guys, but I really haven't seen you guys that much since High School, so it's going to be great having our children grow up in the same area. Nathan is normally here on weekdays so he'll be going to school with Sawyer, but he's a couple grades older." Bevin started rambling about Nathan and Lucas and Peyton were happy to listen, although they were more anxious about going to see the rest of their friends. They could sense the tension between Skills and Bevin and figured the sooner they got out of there the better.

-"Skills honey, you and Luke should go to the River Court sometime and shoot around. Like old times." Bevin said. Lucas smiles.

-"Yeah, Nate could come too." Lucas happily said. Bevin and Skills sadly looked at their feet.

-"Well as you know Haley and Nathan are having problems dawg, he don't come around anymore. He got some apartment out of town and he took Lydia with him. Jamie stuck with Hales though, he's a good kid. We haven't seen Nate in months." Skills sadly noted.

-"I thought their divorce wasn't official yet. Isn't there still hope?" Lucas asked.

-"Well they haven't filed yet but I don't think they've talked since Haley became depressed. Have you gone to see her yet? She's really- really down." Bevin said softly.

-"No, but we're planning on seeing her as soon as possible. Actually we have to go, we're going to stop by Mouth's house." Peyton chimed in and the friends said goodbye and Lucas and Peyton made their way for Mouth and Millie's house.

Mouth and Millicent McFadden were always the dream couple. They finished each other's sentences, they worked together and they were always smiling. They have a show together called "Mouth and Millie in the Morning", but their love-you-forever couple charm has worn off. Although you can tell their in love, they don't show it off as much anymore now that they have a baby, Tanner. When Peyton and Lucas approached the doorstep of the McFadden's house, the sounds were overwhelming. There were TV's blaring, a baby crying and a vacuum cleaning. When the doorbell rung, Peyton half expected them not to hear it but luckily, Mouth opened the door breathless.

Mouth smiled. "Do my eyes deceive me! Come on in guys. Millie's cooking tortillas, come have some. MILLIE! TWO MORE TORTILLAS PLEASE! WE HAVE GUESTS!" Lucas smiled as well. He loved to see how Mouth's life had shaped out. Despite the bit of spit up on his jacket coat, Mouth looked happy and Mouth was the kind of guy who deserved that.

"MARVIN I CAN'T HEAR YOU WILL YOU TURN OFF THAT TV?!" Millie screamed trying to be heard over the thousands of sounds at once. The vacuum was unplugged and the TV was turned off. Millie came in to find Peyton and Lucas and she squealed and hugged them!  
-"What are you two doing here in Tree Hill? What a surprise!" Millie exclaimed, confused but happy. Peyton explained the situation to them as Millie brought out Tanner who's crying had subsided into a small whimper.

-"Is he alright?" Lucas asked in concern for the baby.

-"No he's fine, he cries all the time for no reason. He likes attention like his mother!" Mouth played, making Millie smile. Despite their less obvious lust for each other, you could see how perfect they were for each other.

-"Well I just love this! I just can't believe you guys are moving back, it will be just like old times! Maybe this will even take Haley out of her slump!" Millie said.

-"Do you guys talk to Haley at all. Or Nathan?" Lucas asked concerned.

-"No. I mean we've meant to but we've been so busy. You know Haley is busy too. I wish someone would take the café off of her hands for the time being because she has enough on her plate!" Millie said. Peyton jokingly threw her hands up. She already was taking on Red Bedroom and Tric, she didn't need to take on Karen's Café as well.

-"So we feel like we should apologize for missing the wedding and for missing Tanner's birth and-" Peyton started but Mouth shook her off.

-"No apologies needed! You did the best you could to be here when possible! You're here now right?" Mouth smiled at his friends. "Well we hate to kick you out but Tanner has a doctor's appointment and I want to make him lunch first." Millie said and just like that, the Scott's were on their way to Brooke Davis's house.

Lucas and Peyton were most excited about seeing Brooke and Julian. They knew how excited Brooke would be to see Peyton again so when the pulled up to the door and knocked they were buzzing with excitement. Brooke opened the door and Lucas saw her beauty. She looked just as youthful as she did when Lucas left. Brooke's nostrils flared, her eye's watered and without saying a word she slammed the door in their face. Peyton and Lucas took a step back in shock and then knocked again. Brooke answered it.

-"Brooke, it's us!" Peyton said eagerly. Brooke rolled her eyes and let them come inside. Peyton couldn't imagine what was wrong.

-"Brooke what's going on? It's me, Peyton, your best friend!" Peyton urged her on.

-"No, Peyton you were my best friend. But you weren't there when my babies were born and you weren't there when I was attacked by Xavier again and you weren't there to be my maid of honor or when Julian and I were having problems, or when Julian's TV show based off of _our _lives were made! So no Peyton, you _were _my best friend but Haley is my best friend now and I don't see you talking to her either." Brooke exploded in their faces. Both of their faces went pale.

-"Brooke please!" Peyton pleaded, not expecting such a reaction from her. "We're here now, for good we're moving here!" Peyton was trying to get a positive reaction from her best friend but Brooke's lips pursed.

-"I'm not going to do this, Julian is media business for his show and Jude and Davis are at a sleepover. I'm not going to deal with you two alone so come back later, but for now just get out!" And just like that, Peyton and her husband were booted out of her best friend's house. When they got in the car Peyton cried for a couple minutes but then they went home. Even though they had one more friend to visit, they just weren't in the mood for it. Plus they knew that Haley James Scott would be their toughest visit.


End file.
